Parachute.



E. R. CALTHROP. PARACHUTE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. \9- 19l8.

1,291,762. Patented Jan. 21,1919.

' I 2 SHEETS-SHEET l- Figll E'. R. CALTHROP. PARACHUTE. APPLICATIONFILED APR.19- 198.

1,291,762. Patented Jan. 21,1919,

v 2 SHEETS-SHEEIL} UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EVERARD RICHARD CALTHROP, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGN OR TO E.

AERIAL PATENTS, LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

PARACHUTE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 19. 1918. Serial No. 229,628.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Evnnann RICHARD CALTHRoP. a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at London, in thecounty .folds or plaits of theparachute body are released successively from the periphery toward thecenter in ordered sequence. so as to insure the trapping of a column ofair and thereby render certain the complete or full expansion of theparachute bodv;

The use of launching devices of this kind have demonstrated that aparachute when released therefrom opens practically instantaneously, andthe load is brought slowly and safely to the ground. It is howeverconceivable that this rapid expansion of the parachute in immediateproximity to the aircraft from which it is released might. in somecircumstances, prove rather a disadvantage than otherwise, for example,in the case of the airship or'othcr craft bursting into flame from anycause. the parachute might be damaged before it could clear the burningstructure, and it is the primary object of the present invention toprovide a parachute launching device which while insuring the eventualcertain opening of the parachute body to support the load, shall referthe complete opening and expansion of the parachute for a suflicienttime to enable it to fall rapidly for a sufficient distance to be wellclear of'the aircraft from which it is released.

With this end in view and such others as may hereinafter appear or areincidental thereto my invention may be said to comprise i'upturableelements or tapes for controlling the mouth of the parachute body andtherefore the expansion of the parachute so as to enable the fall of theparachute to be regulated, the-preliminary fall or high speed drop beingof a predetermined R. CALTHROPS Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

character, and the after descent or drop belng subject to retardation bythe'subsequent full expansion of the parachute body owing to theautomatic action of r Qbers for releasing and allowing of the completeopening and expansio of thesaid body.

I Wlll now describe my npturable memn of the mouth invention withreference to the accompanying drawings in wh1ch:

F igure 1 represents a through a parachute launcl vertical section nngdevice, em-

bodying the present invention.

Fig. Qillustrates the init ial operation of the device shown in Fig. 1when the load is applied.

Referring now to Fig. 1 the parachute body 1 is symmetrically fol andnested within the spun,

ded and plaitcd metal container 2. The tapes 3 of which the rigging ofthe parachute is composed are ar ranged in packs held together by therubber friction bands 4 retained in position upon the bottom fabriccover 5 by the light breaking pieces (3. The respective ends of therigging tapes are secured to the detachable center bolt 7 as at 8 and tothe peripheral edge of the parachute body 1 as at 9.

To the edge of the container 2 I secure a number of light and easilyrupturable threads. cords or the like 10 which are passed through holes11 m the container 2, the oppositc ends of said threads being attachedto the eyelets in the periphery of the parachute body which connect withthe rigging tapes 3. To hold the nested parachute and its rigging withinthe container 2 and to prevent its premature displacement. I may securea number of light thi mouth of said contalner 'eads across the adaptedto be broken when the load is applied. as will be readily understoodfrom the following description of the operation of the device.

Assuming the parts to be illustrated in Fig. l. and the pilot to be at-'in the position tached through a shoclcabsorber and barness to thedetachable center bolt T. when he throws himself from the aircraft hisweight will first detach the lower co vcr 5 and center bolt 7 from thecontainer the rigging tapes 3 will be extended, and the icriphery ofthe.

parachute body 1 drawn out of tlncontainer. Now it will be seen Fig. 2that as this occurs the 10 will be extended into a st on referring tothreads or cords raight line with the rigging tapes 3 under the load ofthe mouth of the parachute body 1 in a circle only slightly less thanthe diameter of the container 2, so insuring the entry of air to theinterior of the parachute to insure its .eventual complete expansion.

As the rigging tapes 3 becomes taut the threads 10 will of course snapunder the strain exerted on them by the falling load, thus automaticallyreleasing the mouth of the parachute from their restraining influenceand allowing the whole parachute body to expand to its full extent tosafely support its load during the remainder of its descent to theground.

It may be desirable that the aforesaid cords 10 should not snapsimultaneously but that their breaking should be de-synchronized inorder that, the combined stress of breaking shall not exert unnecessarystrain upon the shock absorber. which is located (as hereinafterdescribed) between the parachute and the pilot, and this may be effectedby making them ofvarying lengths and looping them as shown at a: (Fig.2) and other similar cords or threads as shown at 1:2 may be rovidedbetween the container 2 and the other folds or plaits of the parachutebody 1 nearer the center, so that as the parachute body leaves thecontainer said threads 1'2 will operate to cause it to be withdrawn in amore or less cylindrical form ,so as to entrap a longer column of air.

The distance the parachute will drop before completely opening can beregulated by increasing the diameter of the container to provide a moreor less rapid opening, and by reducing said diameter to provide a moreor less retarded opening of the parachute body, or alternatively theaforesaid easily rupturable cords, instead of being attached to the edgeof the above mentioned container, may be secured thereto nearer thecenter thereof. It will of course be apparent that if the diameter ofthe container be re duced, its depth must be increased to affordsufficient capacity to receive the nested parachute body.

It .will be observed that in the above described embodiment of myinvention the operation of the device is entirely automatic, that is tosay when the aviator throws himself from the aircraft the mouth of theparachute will be expanded sufiiciently to entrap the requisite amountof air to insure its eventual complete expansion, and after havingfallen a distance sufficient tobring the requisite breaking strain uponthe easily ruptural'ile cords the parachute body will full expansion.

I claim.-

1. A parachute, a container, and means for launching said parachutecomprising a plurality of rupturable elements attached to tendedposition,

. and a container adapted to receive the container and tainer and themouth of the parachute body to hold the said mouth in a. partiallyexsaid elements being rup tured by the weight of the falling load torelease the mouth and permit of the complete expansion of the parachutebody.

2. In a parachute and means forlaunching the same, the combination witha nested parachute and a container therefor, of a plurality of easilyrupturable elements between the container and the periphery of theparachute body, expansion of the said body and to automatically releasethe mouth thereof to permit 'of complete expansion of the parachutebody.

3. In a parachute and means for launching the same, the combination,with a nested parachute symmetrically folded and plaited the saidparachute and upon the application of the load to insure the freeing ofand plaits successively from the periphery toward the center in orderedsequence, 0 rupturable elements attached to the container and locatedbetween the container and the periphery of the parachute body adapted tohold the mouth of the said parachute body in a partially extendedposition and to automatically release the said mouth by the actionof'the the parachute.

4. In a parachute and means for launching the same, the combination,with a nested parachute symmetrically folded and plaitcd and a containeradapted to receive the said parachute and upon the application of theload to insure the freeing of the said folds and plaits successivelyfrom the periphery toward the center in ordered sequence, 0 cordsconnected at one end to the periphery of the parachute body and at theother end to the container adapted to hold the mouth ing the same, thecombination, with a nested load in the descent of disposed between theconadapted to restrain the v the said folds parachute symmetricallyfolded and plaited and a container adapted to 1 ".eive the saidparachute and upon the application of. the load to insure the freeing oftilt said folds and plaits successively from th periphery toward thecenter in ordered sequence, of looped cords of varying lengths havingone end connected to the periphery of the para ,chute body and the otherend to the coin tainer and similar cords extending between the containerand the folds or plaits of the parachute body adapted to hold the mouthof the parachute body in a partially extended position and inapproximately cylindrical form and to be ruptured by the weight of thefalling load upon the parachute arriving at a predetermined extent offall in its descent.

6. In a parachute and means for launching the same, the combination,with a nested parachute symmetrically folded and plaited, a riggingcomposed of tapes arranged in packs and a container adapted to receivethe said parachute and. upon the application ot the load to insure thefreeing of the said folds and plaits successively vfrom the peripherytoward the center in ordered sei que'nce; of'rupturable cords having oneend connected to the periphery of the parachute body and the other endto the container and looped so as to present cordsof varying lengths. a

7. In a parachute and means for launching the same, the combination,with a nested parachute symmetically folded and plaited, a riggingcomposed of tapes arranged in packs and a container adapted to receivethe said parachute and upon the application of the load to insure thefreeing of the said folds and plaits successively from the peripherytoward the center in-ordered sequence; of looped cords of varyinglengths having their respective ends connected to the periphery of theparachute body and the container and similar cords extending between thecontainerand the, folds or 'pl'aits of the parachute body adapted tohold themouth of the parachute body in a partially extended position andto be ruptured by the weight of the falling load upon the parachutearriving at a predetermined eX- tent of fall in its descent.

EVERARD Riemann-curator.

